CHIANG MAI SKETCHBOOK - September 2012

Here are some of the sketches I put into my travel sketchbook while traveling to Chiang Mai, Thailand during the month of September 2012

Tokyo / Narita Airport

Bangkok Airport

"Arm" Asleep In The Truck / Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Doi Suthep

Wat Phra Singh / Feet of Reclining Buddha

Birth Year "Rat" / Monks with new haircuts at Wat Phra Singh

WAT CHEDI LUANG, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

This is one if the last, (only 2 sketches in the series left), of the series of linocut sketches I drew while in Chiang Mai, Thailand in January while doing work for the volunteer group VOLUNTEER POSITIVE.

This image was created while sitting in the shade under a tree surrounding the massive Chedi in Wat Chedi Luang.

From: Thailand For Visitors

"In its day, Wat Chedi Luang must have been the most impressive temple in Chiang Mai. Built about 600 years ago, the huge chedi which gave the temple its name (the name of the temple translates to "royal pagoda") must have soared high above the surrounding city. We say "must have" because the chedi was mostly destroyed within a few hundred years of its construction. Some say it was an earthquake in the 17^th century that did the deed; others say it was King Taksin's cannons firing on the city to chase out the Burmese in the 18^thcentury."


"The pagoda has been partially reconstructed, but the spire has not been recreated since nobody can be sure what it looked like."

"JOSHUA AT THE DOG PARK"

Being the type of person who doesn't make friends, true friends, all that easily or all that often, I've learned over the years that people like Joshua Paprika Fennell are a rare find in my life. The type of person that I know I was meant to meet and meant to know for the rest of my life.

We met a few years ago at the dog park down the street from where I live and as I discovered not too far from where he lives as well. It just so happens that Joshua has a Jack Russell Terrier, the same breed of dog as my, "Mimzy", and he's also an aspiring self-taught Artist with a passion for life that is evident in everything he does. Joshua is what I refer to as my, "Brother from another Mother", or "Sister from another Mister", depending on the mood and his behavior.

"JOSHUA AT THE DOG PARK" - Acrylic 4.5" X 4.5"

"GEORGE" - The Process

Because I do not have the ability to do one thing at a time, I was taking pics of my progress last night on this portrait of my friend George Berberian and texting them to him as I was working on the piece. 

Part of the conversation that ensued is contained below. It will give you a little insight into what the brain of a Virgo Artist is doing when he's walking along the street, or sitting on the subway, visiting a foreign land or hanging out with one of his favorite people. I have been blessed in so many ways with having the ability to relay what I see visually, but I've also been condemned with the ability to never take things for their surface appearances. In my minds eye, there isn't just a blue sky, a pretty orange flower, or a beautiful set of eyebrows.

TEXT


George: Far be it for me to criticise the artist...
              tho I do think my eyebrows are too thick...
George: You're doing it so quickly, and with paint... impressive
David: Lol. I told you I wasn't done fool!!!.
            Besides, what do you think a Virgo Artist sees first, second, third and fourth when he looks at          you?
George: Uhhh... different shades of color?
               Is that a rhetorical question...
David: And I had already adjusted the eyebrows before you texted.
            I'm challenging myself by using one size brush.
David: Not for me it isn't (in reply to george asking if my question was rhetorical)
            My job in life is to observe.
            And appreciate.

MY REFERENCE MATERIALS

THE INTREPID

"Having lived 16 years just a few blocks away from The Intrepid, it's easy to forget about it. Today was the perfect occasion to remind myself how fortunate I am to live so close to the Hudson River." - March 28, 2012

New "SKETCH" BUDDHA - RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

Here's my latest acrylic "sketch" based on a photo I took of a Tibetan Buddhist sculpture at The Rubin Museum of Art in NYC. My sketch is approximately 4" X 4", acrylic paints on textured paper. Unfortunately, because I used metalic gold paints, reproduction of my painting isn't the best quality. The subtlties of color in my painting are not obvious in the photo.

CHANGE OF PACE

I've been in a bit of a linocut burn-out phase after cutting and printing many of my linocuts from my recent trip to Chiang Mai. I've also been craving doing some color work and some painting, so I broke out the acrylic paints and brushes and did this quick little "sketch". If you've been keeping track of my recent linocuts, you'll have seen a similar image printed of this same subject. What I've learned to do over the years is to always photograph the image I am drawing on to lino when i am traveling and doing an on-site lino drawing. The reason for this is to have a refer4ence shot of whatever it is I'm looking at just in case I decide to add color to the lino or I have trouble understanding what I drew. This is my friend Phra Kritsada Prueprong, a 20 year-old Buddhist Monk I met and became friends with in Chiang Mai.

2 MORE LINOCUTS FROM CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - ALLEY SCENE / 3 DRAGONS

Here are the next 2 prints from my Chiang Mai Series.

Th first print, an "Alley Scene" is described in the following excerpt from an interview i recently participated in.

"I’m currently working on the series of linocuts I created while I was in Chiang Mai in January. And the one piece I’m cutting out right now was drawn the afternoon after I had sliced 2 of my fingers open quite badly the night before. I had limited time to draw on my own during my service and was looking forward to spending as many days on my own as possible wandering through the city “recording”. I was pretty disappointed when I woke up the following morning as I could barely bend my figures, each time opening the wounds and having blood pour out. But, I bandaged the hell out of these 2 fingers, grabbed my art supplies, a bottle of water and my backpack and headed out anyway. I’ve worked under far worse circumstances. It was another beautifully clear and already warm early afternoon and I found myself wandering through the back streets of old Chiang Mai. I passed an open-air garage where a young man was creating what I assumed was religious iconography by hand-stamping various sizes of tools into a sheet of metal. I passed someone’s yard whose fence was covered in a somewhat unkempt fragrant flowered vine that smelled beautifully. And then I spotted something I wanted to draw. I found a great vantage point next to a fence and in the shade. Standing here, you could smell the scent of incense wafting around in the air, with so many temples in the old city, it’s not an uncommon smell. Every once in a while a motorbike would whiz by or a kid dressed in their school uniform would pass. Occasionally they would pass close enough to take a peak at what I was drawing.

Just remembering all of these little details brings a smile to my face."

This second print is from a drawing at one of the local temples in the old city. Unfortunately, I did not make note on the back of it as to which temple I was at. If I can find some online reference, I'll be sure to add it here.

MUNCHER CUCUMBER SEED PACK ARTWORK - Mention In NEW PALTZ TIMES & HIGH FALLS MERCANTILE ONLINE SHOP

I somehow missed this mention in the New Paltz Times.

And Also on the online shop at HIGH FALLS MERCANTILE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2010

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I decided that it would be mutually beneficial to have my friend Joshua Fennell over to carve and print our Holiday linocut cards. This was his first time to ever cut a lino out, and it inspired me to work on an image as well.

As you can see, my dog Mimzy is an amazing subject to have. ;0)


MIMZY - JOY




CUTTING THE GOLIDAY LINO




JOSHUA'S HOLIDAY CARD




JOSHUA AND HIS NEICE, "MIMZY"

OCTOBER BERUBE-BUG / BELATED HAPPY HALLOWEEN

RADISH-HEAD / JULY BERUBE-BUG

I had it in my head that my July bug was going to be some 2-headed creature depicting my state of mind for the past month. At the last minute, while checking out a fellow mail artist MICK BOYLE'S site, I discovered that he was starting a 2-month mailart call with "Radish" as a theme. The rest is history.

As soon as I create a colored version, I'll post that as well.

CUT LINO


INKED LINO


BLACK INK PRINT

"FARRAH" - JUNE BERUBE-BUG

I finally managed to finish the June Berube-Bug "FARRAH", inspired by Farrah Fawcett's poster image of 70's fame. I'm running a little behind and still have to print the backs of the post cards, but they will make it into the mail this week going to anyone who sent me a post card last month. Sorry for the delay.

MAY BERUBE-BUG / "SWINE FLEW"

Inspired by the newest pandemic, I decided to create my interpretaion of the Swine Flu Bug. This one will go in the mail Tuesday when I get back into town.



For those of you in the U.S. have a great holiday weekend.

COLLABORATION WITH BRANDON LACY CAMPOS - #2 - SUSAN BOYLE

Here is the result of the latest collaboration with Brandon Lacy Campos. Susan Boyle after the makeover? Image drawn by Brandon, transferred, cut and printed by myself.

COLLABORATION WITH BRANDON LACY CAMPOS

Brandon was so kind as to leave a drawing in my sketchbook, I decided it was cute enough to create a lino-cut out of it.
6 variations of the same print using the chine' colle technique.

SESSIONS WOODS / BURLINGTON CONNECTICUT